Rotary engine or turbine



Nov. 21, 1950 J. UDELMAN 2,530,925

ROTARY ENGINE 0R TURBINE Filed Oct. 29, 1948 INVEN TOR. JZ/ME JOEL MAN 7%% wm MW ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PNT ()FFiCE 4 Claims. i

This invention relates to rotary engines, turbines, fluid motors and pumps, and particularly to a rotary engine or fluid motor of the expanding-chamber type which I prefer to term a universal rotating turbine.

The main object of my invention is to provide a rotary engine or fluid motor capable of use as a motor for steam, air or water, or as a fluid pump.

Another object is to provide such a fluid motor or pump wherein the operation departs from established practice with resulting high eificiency in operation.

A further object is to have a fluid motor or pump of the indicated character which has the moving parts thereof operating each in its own circular orbit of simple rotation so that cams, eccentrics and other shifting or reciprocating members are avoided.

It is also an object to have such a fluid motor or pump with but two moving parts within a housing for extreme simplicity of structure and operation.

A practical object is, of course, to make a fluid motor or pump as outlined which is simple to manufacture and reasonable in cost to encourage wide use.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in further detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which.

Figure 1 is a side elevation largely in longitudinal vertical section of a rotary engine or turbine made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form, the apparatus being suitable for use as a fluid motor or p p;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 22 in Figure 1, the parts being shown in an initial stage of operation;

Figure 3 is a similar section showing the parts in another stage of operation;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the shaft of the apparatus with a driving vane secured thereto and substantially integral therewith, the two members together forming one of the two moving units within the apparatus;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one end wall of the housing of the apparatus of Figures 1, 2 and 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of'the split ring forming th other moving element of the apparatus.

In the various views, the same numerals refer to the same parts.

Turbines, rotary engines and the like are, of course, quite well known, and some forms are used for steam and water drive to furnish power and also as fluid pumps for water, oil and air, etc. In the forms thus adopted, there are usually several parts subjected to rather severe wear and tear and considerable power is lost through friction. Several drawbacks and limitations of such apparatus are usually apparent, and efliciency is scarcely above that expected of reciprocating engines and pumps,

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred to me that a rotary engine to serve as a fluid motor or pump should primarly be simple, free from oscillating parts, and as efiicient as possible, both by virtue of efiicient design and as a result of simplicity of its parts and operation. As a result, I have succeeded in producing a rotary engine for use as a fluid motor or pump which eliminates the outlined disadvantages and fulfills the foregoing objects in a novel manner, as will now be particularly described.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring again to the drawing, the turbine or motor, generally indicated at l, primarily includes a housing which consists of a pair of opposite end walls 8 and 9, a cylindrical wall it! and a rigidlyattached or integral base H. The end wall 8 may be integral with the cylindrical wall [0, if so desired, or may be fitted thereto or therein and secured by means of screws, bolts or other means well known inthe art so long as this end wall forms a complete closure for the end wall l0, while similarly the other end wall 9 may be partly fitted into the other end of the cylindrical wall Ill and held in position by means of screws and bolts and located properly upon the end by means of a flange I2 so that both end walls 8 and 9 are accurately spaced apart. The details of the matter of attachment of the end walls 8 and 9 to the cylindrical wall [0 are superfluous to discuss further, as such structures are well known and various types of securing means and designs of the meeting parts are also so well known that no features of the invention reside therein.

In the center of each of the end walls 8 and 9 is a bearing aperture, as indicated at is and i l, for a shaft 15 extending through both end walls, while exteriorly upon both may be located packing boxes It and Il screwed upon the bosses l8 and ['9 forming external projections upon the end walls, the packing boxes including the packing 20, 2I. At one end the shaft I5 is provided with a pulley 22 for delivering power to outside apparatus or for bringing the power drive to the shaft when the apparatus is to be used as a pump. Within the housing I the shaft is provided with a rigidly-attached or integral driving vane 23 which extends radially into sliding contact with the internal surface of the cylindrical wall I3 and on the inner sides 24 and 25 of the end walls 8 and 9, the longitudinal edge 25 of the driving vane 23 being thus straight and parallel with the shaft I 5 to which the vane is attached, while the ends 21 and 28 are straight and perpendicular to the longitudinal edge 26 and shaft I5, and necessarily make a sliding fit with the end walls 24 and 25 within the housing.

In the mentioned end walls are provided a pair of circular, but eccentric, recesses 29, 30. The

mentioned recesses 29 and 30, while being eccentrio with respect to the bearing apertures I3 and I4, are none the less perfectly circular and the resulting inner wall surfaces 3I and 32 are spaced a short distance outwardly of the ends 27 and 28 of the driving vane 23 on shaft I5. Located at both ends within the mentioned recesses 29 and 30 is a longitudinally-slotted ring or shell 33 extending the entire distance from wall 3| to wall 32 and accurately fitting with a sliding fit within the recesses 29 and 30 so that it may rotate therein. The mentioned ring or shell 33 has a longitudinal slot 34 along one side which is closed at both ends by peripheral end portions 46, 41. The edges 35 and 36 of slot 34 are well spaced apart and rounded to provide clearance and eliminate friction as far as possible, the resulting width of the slot being ample to provide for the projection of driving vane 23 therethrough and passage of fluid past the vane. As readily seen in Figures 1 and 2, the driving vane or paddle on shaft I 5 extends down to the interior of cylindrical wall I E] of the housing through the slot 34 and between the closed ends 46, 41 thereof in the cylindrical shell 33, and serves to drive or rotate shell or ring 33.

In the end wall 8, and in fact, in the recessed inner wall 3I thereof, is located an inlet port 3'! for introducing steam, compressed air or other driving fluid, as for example, water from a waterfall or the like, the inlet port 3'! being located on one side of the vertical meridian of the apparatus occupied by the driving vane 23 in Figure 2, for example. On the same side of the vertical meridian, represented by the driving vane 23 in broken lines at 44 in Figure 3, is located an outlet port 38 in cylindrical wall It! and connected with an outlet pipe 39, the port 38 being externally located with respect to the cylindrical shell 33, and being extended downward in the form of an arcuate channel or groove 48 in said wall II] to the bottom center of the latter within end wall 8. Cooperating with the inlet port 31 in the inner end wall 3! of the recess 29 is a limited flange valve forming, as it were, part of a sector which is rigidly secured within the end GI of the cylindrical shell 33, the flange valve 40 being disposed adjacent to the edge 35 of the slot 34 in the mentioned member 33 in such paratus' is employed as a turbine, rotary engine ill) 4 or fluid motor, the driving fluid of which may be steam, compressed air or water introduced through inlet port 37, the fluid fills the interior of cylindrical shell 33 and escaping through slot 34 of shell 33 past driving vane 23 enters the chamber portion I32 indicated in Figure 3, and begins to drive the mentioned vane 23 in clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow 43. Due to the fact that the driving vane 23 extends through the slot 34, it naturally causes the shell 33 to rotate with it albeit in its own circular recess 29 about an imaginary axis which is eccentric with respect to shaft I5, and continuing up to the uppermost position indicated at 6 3 in broken lines, begins the second half of its rotation toward the right until the vane approaches the outlet port 38 through which is expelled any residual fluid in the right-hand portion or chamber 35. When the driving vane 23 passes outlet port 38, the flange valve 4% begins to cover the inlet port 3'5 and retains the latter momentarily covered until the paddle or vane has passed its lowest position, the vane expelling fluid through channel 48 from chamber 45, so that no back pressure from port 38 will be exerted against the vane in counter-clockwise direction. When both vane 23 and flange valve 40 have passed inlet port 31, the latter again provides pressure fluid for driving the vane in the mentioned clockwise direction, the slot 34 in cylindrical shell 33 being ample not only for the movements of driving vane 23, but also to allow a suflicient amount of the pressure fluid to pass the driving vane into the outer chamber portion 32, causing the vane to continue rotation, and this rotation will continue so long as the pressure fluid is supplied through inlet port 31 and the outlet port 38 remains open, so that the fluid from chamber portion 45 will constantly be discharged through pipe 39. When the apparatus is used as a pump for fluid, such as water or oil, etc., the fluid is again introduced through inlet port 37, while power is transmitted to the pulley 22 on shaft I5 to drive the vane 23 in the mentioned clockwise direction, and the fluid will be caused to be drawn into the interior of cylindrical shell 33 and thereafter through slot 34 into the chamber portion 42 within the cylindrical wall I!) and upon continued rotation of shaft I5 and vane 23, the fluid will be impelled through chamber 45 out through the outlet port 38 and outlet pipe 39 as long as pulley 22 is rotated.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the apparatus is constructed on lines of extreme simplicity with only two moving parts, namely, the

shaft and driving vane 23 forming one moving part and the rotating cylindrical shell 33 forming the other moving part, through the longitudinal slot 33 of which the vane 23 extends into sliding contact with the inner wall of housing wall II], and the housing or drum forming a third part or unit, which is stationary. It is also clear that whether the invention serves as a rotary pump for fluid or as a steam turbine, or even as a hydraulic turbine, the vane or paddle 23, upon each revolution thereof, causes the cylindrical shell to rotate through one revolution, but about an imaginary center eccentric with respect to shaft I5. As the apparatus thus serves for three purposes, it may well be termed a universal rotary turbine. In this turbine, the rotation of the vane with the shaft is substantially constant, whereas the corresponding rotation of the cylindrical shell 33, due to the eccentric location of the latter, consists of a slow phase followed by tically trouble-proof and not likely to get out of order.

' Due to its simplicity, the turbine described is 1 highly efiicient, lends itself readily to mass production for use in many fields, and may be made in sizes ranging from pocket size to the great sizes serving to receive water drive from dams and 1,

waterfalls, and for powerhouse service. Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim:

1. A rotary engine or turbine serving as a fluid motor or pump, including a housing having a cylindrical wall and a pair of opposite end walls enclosing a cylindrical chamber, a shaft extending axially through the latter chamber and the end walls, a hollow cylindrical ring or shell of uniform wall thickness and diameter throughout and with both ends open'rotatably mounted between the end walls and eccentrically surrounding the shaft out of contact therewith and being substantially tangent to the interior of the cylindrical housing wall at the lower-portion thereof,

the cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot along one side extending from a short distance within one end of the shell to within a short distance from the other end thereof, an inlet port in one end wall of the housing extending into the area within the cylindrical shell at one side of said shaft and below the latter, a limited flange valve fixed within the open end of said cylindrical shell adjacent to the inlet port and adjacent to the longitudinal slot in said shell substantially at right angles to said shaft and in effective position to cover said inlet port during part of each revolution, an outlet port extending in through the cylindrical housing wall at the same side of said shaft as said inlet port, rounded edges upon said cylindrical shell upon both sides of said longitudinal slot, a support for said cylindrical housing wall, and a longitudinally-disposed and substantially flat solid driving vane rigidly fixed upon said shaft and extending longitudinally from one end wall to the other with a sliding fit exclusively exteriorly of the cylindrical shell and projecting radially from the shaft out through said longitudinal slot in the cylindrical shell into sliding contact with the interior of the cylindrical housing wall.

2. A rotary engine or turbine serving as a fluid motor or pump, including a housing having a cylindrical wall and a pair of opposite end walls enclosing a cylindrical chamber, a shaft extending axially through the latter chamber and the end walls, each of the latter having a circular recess extending a short distance into the inner surface thereof eccentrically with respect to the shaft with the recesses in both end walls sub-- stantially tangent to the interior of the cylindrical housing wall at the lower part thereof, a hollow cylindrical ring or shell of substantially uniform thickness and diameter throughout and with both ends open rotatably fitting with the open ends thereof in the circular recesses in both end walls, the cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot along one side extending from a'short distance within one end to a short distance within the other end thereof, and surroundin said iii.

shaft out of contact therewith, an inlet port in one end wall extending into the circular area of the recess therein and within the area of said cylindrical shell at one side of said shaft and below the latter, a limited flange valve fixed within the open end of said cylindrical shell adjacent to said inlet port substantially at right angles to said shaft and adjacent to the longitudinal slot in said shell in effective position to cover said inlet port during part of each revolution, an outlet port extending in through the cylindrical housing wall at the same side of said shaft with said inlet port, rounded edges upon said cylindrical shell upon both sides of said longitudinal slot, a support for said cylindrical housing wall, and a longitudinally-disposed and substantially flat solid driving vane rigidly fixed upon and integral 7 with said shaft and extending longitudinally from one end Wall of the cylindrical housing to the other with a sliding fit but spaced from and out of contact with the inner surfaces of said circular recesses within said cylindrical shell, and said driving vane extending radially from the shaft out through said longitudinal slot in said cylindrical shell into sliding contact with the interior of the cylindrical housing wall.

3. A rotary engine or turbine serving as a fluid motor or pump, including a housing having a cylindrical wall and a pair of opposite end walls enclosing cylindrical chamber, a shaft extending axially through the latter chamber and the end walls, each of the latter having a circular recess extending a short distance into the inner surface thereof eccentrically with respect to the shaft and with the recesses in both end walls substantially tangent to the interior of the cylindrical housing wall at the lower part thereof, a hollow cylindrical ring or shell of substantially uniform thickness and diameter throughout and with both ends open rotatably fitting with the open ends thereof in the circular recesses in both end walls, the cylindrical shell having a longitudinal slot along one side, peripheral end portions on the cylindrical shell closing the ends of the longitudinal slot and said cylindrical shell surrounding said shaft eccentrically out of contact therewith, an inlet port in one end wall extending into the area of the circular recess therein and within the area of said cylindrical shell at one side of said shaft and below the latter, a limited flange valve fixed within the open end of said cylindrical shell adjacent to said inlet port substantially at right angles to said shaft and adjacent to the longitudinal slot in said shell in effective position to cover said inlet port during part of each revolution, an outlet port extending in through the cylindrical housing wall at the same side of said shaft with said inlet port, said cylindrical housing wall having an arcuate channel or groove communicating with the outlet port and extending down in said wall to the lower internal portion thereof, rounded edges upon said cylindrical shell upon both sides of said longitudinal slot, a base for said cylindrical housing wall, and a longitudinally disposed and substantially flat solid driving vane rigidly fixed upon said shaft and extending longitudinally from one end wall to the other with a sliding fit within the housing but spaced from and out of contact with the inner surfaces of said circular recesses within said cylindrical shell, and said driving vane radially extending from the shaft out through said longitudinal slot in the cylindrical shell into sliding contact with the interior of said cylindrical housing wall.

' 4. In a rotary engine or turbine serving for use as a fluid motor or pump, comprising a housing witha cylindrical wall and a pair of opposite end walls including a cylindrical chamber, a shaft extending axially through the latter and the end walls, a hollow cylindrical ring or shell movable within the cylindrical chamber having a longitudinal slot along one side thereof and eccentrically surrounding said haft out of contact therewith, and a longitudinally disposed solid driving vane rigidly fixed upon the shaft to be rotatable therewith and extending radially out through the longitudinal slot in the cylindrical shell into sliding contact with the interior of said cylindrical housing wall, the improvement which includes integral peripheral end portions on the cylindrical shell closing the ends of the longitudinal slot, having a pair of opposite circular recesses extending short distances into the inner surfaces of said end walls eccentrically with respect to said shaft and with both recesses substantially tangent to the interior of the cylindrical housing wall at the lower part thereof, an inlet port at one end wall extending into the area of the circular recess therein and within the area of said cylindrical shell adjacent to one side of and below said shaft, having the ends of the shell open and extending rotatably into said circular recesses, a limited flange valve fixed within the end 25 Number of said cylindrical shell adjacent to the inlet port 30 and substantially at right angles to said" shaft and in effective position to cover said inlet port during part of its revolution, an outlet port extending through the cylindrical housing wall at the same side of said shaft with said inlet port, having an arcuate channel or groove in the cylindrical housing wall communicating with the outlet pcrt and extending a distance down in the interior of said Wall to the lower internal portion thereof with the inlet port located betwen two radii extending from the ends of said arcuate groove to said shaft, and having the driving vane substantially fiat and the ends thereof extending into sliding contact with the inner surfaces of said end walls but spaced from and out of contact with the inner surfaces ofsaid circular recesses within said cylindrical shell.

JAIME UDELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Baker July 10, 1866 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 28, 1929 Number 

